


Sixth Time's the Charm

by AmeliaOdair



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, February Prompt, Gen, Other, Seasons of Everlark, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29765514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaOdair/pseuds/AmeliaOdair
Summary: Katniss Everdeen is immune to Cupid’s arrows, no matter how many times his cherubs shoot her. So Cupid himself comes to Earth to see what’s going on with that human… the rest is up to you.Written for February's Season of Everlark
Relationships: Cupid (Ancient Roman Religion & Lore)/Psyche (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Mellark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Sixth Time's the Charm

**Sixth Time’s the Charm**

**Location: High up in the clouds of Mount Olympus**

Psyche entered the palace she shared with her true love, Cupid, to find him slumped over on his bed of clouds pouting, face hidden in his hands. She knew the mortal “Valentine’s Day” was approaching, which was always, without fail, Cupid’s favorite time of year. Oh, how he so loved to meddle in the human’s silly affairs, puncturing them with his arrows of love.

“What troubles you, my dear? Why the long face?” She asked, walking over and joining him on their bed.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He sighed, still pouting. He shifted his body so that his back was facing her, not wanting to meet her eyes. He knew she had the ability to get it out of him and he wasn’t ready to face his failure.

“Liar.” She mocked him with a pouty face of her own. “Do you take me for a fool? Come on. We have been by each other’s side for too many millennia for you to pull the wool over my eyes. Something is clearly bothering you; Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and you are moping about like it may never come around again. So, what gives?” Psyche knew his tactic and every time he shifted away, she just moved that much closer.

“Okay, fine!” Cupid smiled at his true love; yes, she knew him so well. “Well, you see, there is this girl down on Earth, she goes by the name, _Katniss Everdeen_. For five years I have stunned her with my arrows; **_FIVE_** Psyche, and NOTHING!” Cupid whined, throwing his hands up in the air.

“Is she not appealing to the mortal eye?” Psyche wondered aloud.

“Oh, no— no, the girl is quite beautiful— as far as humans go, that is. And she is a rather gifted archer too.” Psyche smiled; _now_ she could see why this “Katniss Everdeen” was bothering her Cupid so.

“Perhaps she just wants to be alone, you know. Not _everyone_ is meant to have another half, such as you and I.”

“No, no, I don’t think that is it. Oh Psyche, I am at a loss! The poor girl has endured more than her fair share of tragedy; more than enough to constitute _seven_ lifetimes.” Psyche frowned at this revelation. She knew Cupid was not exaggerating, having been around more than his share of lifetimes. “At eleven years old her father perished in a tragic accident, forcing her to the head of her household. Overtaken by the loss of her husband, Katniss’ mother ‘checked out’ compelling her to become parent to her younger sister. And then, at only sixteen years old, Katniss Everdeen came home from school one day to find her mother hanging from the ceiling of their attic, strung up in a noose. Katniss and her sister, Prim, were shuffled from foster home to foster home until they were finally placed with a long-lost relative of their mother’s.”

“Geez. Poor girl.” Psyche sympathized, feeling a tugging on her heart.

“That’s not even the half of it. This long-lost relative was rich beyond belief. Gave the girls any and everything they ever asked for, but seriously lacked in the affection department. But then, the day came when Haymitch Abernathy was confronted with the one thing his money could not buy, seeking refuge at the bottom of a bottle.”

“What was it?” Psyche asked intrigued, sucked into the story of this Katniss Everdeen’s life.

“A cure for cancer. On the cusp of adulthood, Prim was diagnosed with an aggressive form of melanoma which had spread to all her internal organs, including her brain by the time they caught it. She died within the month.”

“That is horrible! What a travesty, the poor girl!” Psyche exclaimed, a tear gliding down her cheek.

“I know. Like I said, the girl has faced enough loss to last _ten_ lifetimes.” As a god, having been around to witness hundreds and hundreds of lifetimes, Cupid _would_ know. “I think she has closed herself off to the idea of love. You know, if she does not allow herself to love anyone, then she does not have the worry of losing them. But Psyche, I just know if she would open up, even just a little, that I could help her find true happiness. I just know it!”

Psyche could see how badly this was bothering Cupid and so terribly wished there was something she could do to ease his pain. Hell, _she_ wanted to ease Katniss Everdeen’s pain. She knew how Cupid thrived on bringing people together— how he lived vicariously through the mortals and their happy endings. Which was when she got an idea.

“Too many centuries have passed since I last visited Earth, I believe I am long overdue for a trip. What say you? Will you accompany me to the mortal realm?”

Cupid grinned from ear to ear, nodding, and together they flew down from Mount Olympus, landing in a place called “District Twelve, Panem.”

“No wonder this _Katniss Everdeen_ is miserable. This place is ghastly!” Psyche wailed to Cupid. “I swear the last time I was here, the grass was greener, the sky bluer. What happened . . . who stripped all the color away?” She complained when she saw all the coal dust coating the district.

“Quit complaining; this was your idea.” Cupid pulled Psyche in the other direction, “Come on. Her home is this way.”

They floated into Katniss Everdeen’s home in a section of the district called the Seam, and sat above the ceiling fan to observe her for many days. Of course, they made themselves invisible to all mortal beings, because if a mortal were to see them in their true form, they would surely explode.

After hearing Cupid share the story of Katniss Everdeen’s life, Psych felt terrible for the girl. But after watching her for only two days, Psyche felt even worse for her. Katniss Everdeen was sad, depressed, angry at the world, and more than a little hostile. 

“Poor girl has the personality of a dead slug.” Psyche moaned to herself. Every day was the same as Katniss just went through the motions. She appeared to have no friends and no life. On their third night, with Valentine’s Day just a few days away, Cupid left Psyche with Katniss to do what he does best; shooting the mortals with his arrows of love.

“Oh, how I wish there was something I could do for you,” Psyche said to Katniss from her bed of clouds next to the ceiling fan. She was positioned on her stomach, her elbows digging into her pillows, face propped in her hands; the worry lines prevalent above her brow. Of course, Katniss could not see her, much less hear her, but she still wished she could help this girl. It wasn’t until the next day when she followed Katniss into the bakery to grab her usual cup of coffee when she saw the boy.

Katniss had dropped her keys on the floor and this boy, this, “Peeta Mellark” rushed to her aid. 

“That must be where all the blue went!” Psyche exclaimed when she saw Peeta Mellark’s striking blue eyes. They were the bluest of blue, bluer than the skies above Zeus’ palace, bluer than the deepest depths of Poseidon’s oceans. Psyche saw how entranced Peeta was when he looked at Katniss; as if she were the sun and the moon, all rolled into one. He was completely smitten with her and she didn’t even know it!

“Oh Katniss, how can I help you . . . there must be something—” Psyche mumbled to herself, but then realized there _WAS_ something she could do. 

Psyche was once a mortal princess, but after her marriage to Cupid she was made immortal and the gods bestowed her with a pair of butterfly wings, deeming her the goddess of the human soul. That night, Psyche waved her hand over Katniss’ heart, sprinkling a little of her magic on the girl, lifting the darkness from her tattered soul.

The next morning and after Cupid ran out of arrows, he and Psyche made their way back home. “Cupid, my love?” Psyche said once they were back inside their palace atop Mount Olympus.

Cupid turned to meet Psyche’s eyes, noticing the mischievous glare in her eyes.

“I think you should try again . . . with Katniss Everdeen, I mean.”

“You really think so?” Cupid asked, sounding more than hopeful.

“Yeah . . . I think . . . sixth time’s the charm, right?”

“Right.” Cupid chuckled.

* * *

**LOCATION: Somewhere in the coal district of Twelve**

“What’s got you all rainbows and sunshines? Did somebody shove a Christmas tree up your ass?” Johanna, one of Katniss’ co-workers snarked when Katniss walked into the building, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, I . . . uh, I don’t know. I guess . . . I must have woken up on the right side of the bed.” Katniss beamed, almost gleeful.

“Yeah, for the first time . . . ever,” Johanna smirked under her breath. Katniss was the only person she even remotely got along with, probably because the girl was just as miserable as herself.

Later that day, Johanna caught Katniss humming to herself. “Dude, what the fuck is your problem? First, you walk up in this piece all happy, chipper, and smiling. And now you’re fucking humming? I thought you hated V-Day as much as I do? Did you finally get laid?”

“Don’t be such an angry asshole, Jo; I told you, I just . . . I don’t know, I just woke up feeling . . . lighter. Free or something.” Katniss didn’t mention the boy with the bluest eyes this morning and the way he seemed to smile at her— like he _saw_ her _._

“Whatever, brainless.” Johanna scoffed.

When Katniss was done with her work for the day, for the first time since . . . well, for the first time since she could remember, Katniss broke her routine. Taking a chance that _he_ was still there, she decided to stop by the bakery for a decaf latte, in hopes that _he_ would be there. Peeta. The boy with those mesmerizing blue eyes who stared into her own grey ones. The boy that, for some unknown reason, made her think of dandelions in the springtime, making her _believe_ in hope again.

The moment she walked in the door, he was beaming from ear to ear, as if _she_ was the reason for such a radiant expression.

“Hi Katniss, I wasn’t expecting to see you this late at night. What—”

“You know my name?” Katniss blurted, trying to sound indifferent while her insides felt as if they were bursting at the seams.

“Of course, I know your name, I could . . . I—” Peeta stammered, unable to complete his thought. “What can I get you?”

“Um . . . I’ll have a decaf latte . . . and . . . one of those,” Katniss said, pointing to the cheese buns through the glass in the pastry case.

“Those are my favorite. I’m due for a break, do you think . . . would you care to join me?” Peeta asked, knowing it was now or never. Katniss always had a scowl on her face, and he wasn’t sure if this cheerful demeanor would last.

“I . . . I’d like that.” Katniss smiled, feeling like her life was about to take a miraculous turn . . . for the better.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this little one-shot/drabble of mine :) and thanks to the wonderful, amazing @eiramrelyat for her amazing beta-ing skills!!! Happy heart-day to you all!!!


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